I went through a period in my 30's where my energy was just plain low. It was frightening at times, how much longer will I live. I attribute some of that to the Pacific Northwest dreary weather but something deeper was clearly going on.
I don't have a problem believing in spirits, ghost, angels. Never had a problem of belief. I just know these things exist. After all, our atoms don't ever go away after we die right? I've seen people possessed. It's nothing new to me. A lot of us die and simply aren't ready for it so we stick around. We have this culture that is obsessed with life. Look at People magazine. Youth, youth, youth. Stay young forever. There is no culture of death, no preparation of the inevitable. Most of us never witness death except perhaps our own, which we all witness. Birth and death largely takes place in cold, horrible hospitals. So when we go we don't know where to go. I don't wish to die anywhere but my home surrounded by familiarity and love. When my beloved saxophone teacher died he passed in his home. He was in a nice 'retirement facility' and he fought hard to go home to spend his last few months. I am glad I got to see him in his own home. Things were tough and terrible but my man was ready. He was a fighter but he was done. He had his horns nearby and all of his beautiful clothes, the things he really valued.
Many of us pass on with this horrible notion that we are going to hell cause we stole Ms. Appleworms pencil in 2nd grade. Religious conditioning of the mind can be so powerful that we are afraid to go. So that fearful spirit creates its own purgatory walking the earth looking for friends amongst the living. We take on the role of judge, god and jury along with the role of human being. What a burden! No wonder many of us don't go.
So one day I went to see a shaman for my own de-possessing. I went in half skeptic (my father is a rocket scientist, no joke!) and half believer (my mother is a writer and quite spiritual though not the least bit religious). The woman asked me if I drove and will I be all right to drive after we were done working. I said "sure! No problem! I'll be cool."
After it was over I sat behind the wheel of my car and stared at it for 40 minutes before I put the key in. Easily the most psychedelic experience I've ever gone through and no, there were no drugs involved folks. I won't go into details, too personal here, but I will say this. She pulled 3 spirits off me. Hitchhikers. One was an old friend who loved me dearly. The second I don't remember but the 3rd was just plain vile. He had a mean streak and shouted obscenities in a voice I've never heard before at the shaman. He was terrifying. He was a real dick.
She told me to go home, get a big carton of Epsom salts and pour the whole thing into a hot bath and also pick up some trace minerals to take since these things live on our nervous system. Yes, they literally drain the batteries.
About a year later I had a gig with the Evolutionary Jass Band at Valentines. By the time I got home I had a terrible pain under my right shoulder blade. It lingered for about a week. I had trouble moving. I wasn't convinced that a doctor could take care of it and being one of the millions of uninsured people in this land, I figured I would tough it out with aspirin.
It didn't subside.
A week after it showed up I was at a brunch party in the Woodstock neighborhood of Portland. A beautiful home with a finished attic. This lady was giving card readings in the attic for twenty bucks. I figured why not just for kicks.
I went upstairs and she drew one card. She said "this is how I see you" and yes, the card looked a lot like me. She then asked me what I wanted to talk about and I started to ask about the pain but before I could even form the sentence she said "oh, you want to talk about the woman in your shoulder? And yes, it is a woman and she's really clingy right? She does not want to leave. So tell me are you a musician?" "um, yeah I am" "Well, you probably picked her up on a gig. See when you are performing you are opening up and some people, living and dead, want to be your friend, get close to you, you should surround yourself with blue light before you play, keep the dead from occupying!"
Yeah, I was blown away. She then told me what to do which was pretty much like what the shaman told me: "Pick up a large carton of Epsom salts, run as hot a bath as you can stand then tell her to get out of your body and do not be wishy washy wimpy about it! You must be firm. Mean if you have to be, she likes you and doesn't want to leave but, she does not belong here. She is dead and needs to go home."
Next day, which was a Monday, at about 1pm I followed her instructions. No, she didn't not want to leave. I could feel her resistance. She was upset but, I got her out. Goodbye, go to the light.
Next night we had band practice. We always made dinner before we played which was a nice thing. Our trumpet player Jesse showed up. He was white as an iceberg, sweaty, clammy. I've never seen him look so bad before. I asked him what is up, are you okay and his reply? "I have this fucking pain under my right shoulder blade. It's so intense I almost passed out at work last night!" I asked him when did this start? He tells me "right about 1pm yesterday".
I said "okay, keep an open mind and do as I say. Get yourself a big box of Epsom salts......
JB
I don't have a problem believing in spirits, ghost, angels. Never had a problem of belief. I just know these things exist. After all, our atoms don't ever go away after we die right? I've seen people possessed. It's nothing new to me. A lot of us die and simply aren't ready for it so we stick around. We have this culture that is obsessed with life. Look at People magazine. Youth, youth, youth. Stay young forever. There is no culture of death, no preparation of the inevitable. Most of us never witness death except perhaps our own, which we all witness. Birth and death largely takes place in cold, horrible hospitals. So when we go we don't know where to go. I don't wish to die anywhere but my home surrounded by familiarity and love. When my beloved saxophone teacher died he passed in his home. He was in a nice 'retirement facility' and he fought hard to go home to spend his last few months. I am glad I got to see him in his own home. Things were tough and terrible but my man was ready. He was a fighter but he was done. He had his horns nearby and all of his beautiful clothes, the things he really valued.
Many of us pass on with this horrible notion that we are going to hell cause we stole Ms. Appleworms pencil in 2nd grade. Religious conditioning of the mind can be so powerful that we are afraid to go. So that fearful spirit creates its own purgatory walking the earth looking for friends amongst the living. We take on the role of judge, god and jury along with the role of human being. What a burden! No wonder many of us don't go.
So one day I went to see a shaman for my own de-possessing. I went in half skeptic (my father is a rocket scientist, no joke!) and half believer (my mother is a writer and quite spiritual though not the least bit religious). The woman asked me if I drove and will I be all right to drive after we were done working. I said "sure! No problem! I'll be cool."
After it was over I sat behind the wheel of my car and stared at it for 40 minutes before I put the key in. Easily the most psychedelic experience I've ever gone through and no, there were no drugs involved folks. I won't go into details, too personal here, but I will say this. She pulled 3 spirits off me. Hitchhikers. One was an old friend who loved me dearly. The second I don't remember but the 3rd was just plain vile. He had a mean streak and shouted obscenities in a voice I've never heard before at the shaman. He was terrifying. He was a real dick.
She told me to go home, get a big carton of Epsom salts and pour the whole thing into a hot bath and also pick up some trace minerals to take since these things live on our nervous system. Yes, they literally drain the batteries.
About a year later I had a gig with the Evolutionary Jass Band at Valentines. By the time I got home I had a terrible pain under my right shoulder blade. It lingered for about a week. I had trouble moving. I wasn't convinced that a doctor could take care of it and being one of the millions of uninsured people in this land, I figured I would tough it out with aspirin.
It didn't subside.
A week after it showed up I was at a brunch party in the Woodstock neighborhood of Portland. A beautiful home with a finished attic. This lady was giving card readings in the attic for twenty bucks. I figured why not just for kicks.
I went upstairs and she drew one card. She said "this is how I see you" and yes, the card looked a lot like me. She then asked me what I wanted to talk about and I started to ask about the pain but before I could even form the sentence she said "oh, you want to talk about the woman in your shoulder? And yes, it is a woman and she's really clingy right? She does not want to leave. So tell me are you a musician?" "um, yeah I am" "Well, you probably picked her up on a gig. See when you are performing you are opening up and some people, living and dead, want to be your friend, get close to you, you should surround yourself with blue light before you play, keep the dead from occupying!"
Yeah, I was blown away. She then told me what to do which was pretty much like what the shaman told me: "Pick up a large carton of Epsom salts, run as hot a bath as you can stand then tell her to get out of your body and do not be wishy washy wimpy about it! You must be firm. Mean if you have to be, she likes you and doesn't want to leave but, she does not belong here. She is dead and needs to go home."
Next day, which was a Monday, at about 1pm I followed her instructions. No, she didn't not want to leave. I could feel her resistance. She was upset but, I got her out. Goodbye, go to the light.
Next night we had band practice. We always made dinner before we played which was a nice thing. Our trumpet player Jesse showed up. He was white as an iceberg, sweaty, clammy. I've never seen him look so bad before. I asked him what is up, are you okay and his reply? "I have this fucking pain under my right shoulder blade. It's so intense I almost passed out at work last night!" I asked him when did this start? He tells me "right about 1pm yesterday".
I said "okay, keep an open mind and do as I say. Get yourself a big box of Epsom salts......
JB
